The Second Coming of Haman Karn
by BloodRavenFan
Summary: What if Zeon's Princess had been more strongly-influenced by her guardian as a child? How will she fare after Char falls and Zeon's leadership falls to her?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Second Coming of Haman Karn

Chapter 1

"Oh Char where did you go wrong?" the fifteen year old princess asked mournfully as her shuttle flew to the rendezvous with the Rewloola. Mineva Lao Zabi sighed contemplatively as she looked out her cabin's window. Their fleet was decimated and scattered, the capital at Sweetwater overrun and Axis lost. The situation wasn't looking good at all, and now here she was being forced to take control of what was left of the Zeon movement. Well Amuro Rey was also MIA, so it wasn't all bad. Still, things could be better.

"Your Highness…" a Zeon officer said as he approached. "…we've made contact with the Rewloola and several other ships."

"How many are there?" she asked, straightening her uniform.

"In addition to the Rewloola, there are two other Musaka-class ships."

"Where's the rest of the fleet?" she asked in concern; if they lost the fleet they would lose everything.

"Captain Lyle has reported that the other ships in the fleet are regrouping at the Side 4 Shoal Zone. However, he also reports that the fleet has suffered forty-percent losses of all their mobile suits, and expenditure of over fifty-percent of their munition supplies. He recommends against any combat operations until we can resupply and reinforce."

"Understood…" Mineva said, standing up and heading for the airlock as the shuttle approached the Rewloola. "…I'll contact our agents on the Moon and they'll make the appropriate arrangements. I'll see if we can get some help from the Jupiter Fleet as well."

Mineva and her guards waited at the airlock as the shuttle landed in the hangar bay; it took a few more minutes for the Rewloola to seal and to re-pressurize its hangar allowing the princess and her entourage to leave their shuttle. Along with the captain an entire phalanx of Zeon marines from the Rewloola's contingent waited for them on the hangar deck in full parade formation. "To her Highness the Princess Mineva Lao Zabi, Zeon Marines salute!"

"At ease soldiers." She responded, returning the captain's salute before heading for the elevator. "Captain what's our status?"

"We're not really at our best at the moment, but we should have no problem meeting up with the rest of the fleet. Unfortunately, it seems we've overstayed our welcome. We've picked up an EFF patrol nearby shortly before you arrived so it won't be long before EFF reinforcements arrive."

"Can we defend ourselves?" Mineva pressed.

"If we have to then yes..." Lyle answered. "…but I strongly recommend avoiding combat for as long as possible."

"Very well…" Mineva conceded. "…once we meet up with the fleet, we'll head for the Moon. Once we resupply we can continue and win this war."

* * *

Meanwhile a group of individuals had gathered in a seaside retreat in Japan on Earth. Fresh tuna, sea urchins, shellfish, green tea and other examples of Japanese cuisine were in abundance, while hostesses in kimonos wandered around and playfully bantered with male attendees. The air was heavy with a not-so figurative stench of decadence and corruption, as the gathered nobility or rather, the rich and powerful of the Federation mingled with each other. Or to be more specific, the rich and powerful of the much-derided Earth-born elite.

The opulence of the party was very jarring considering the general state of Earth's society, the planet not having truly recovered from the events of the One Year War. The drain on the economy caused by Operation Stardust followed by economic restrictions on the space colonies and the strains of the Gryps and Neo-Zeon Wars had all but ensured Earth's steady decline into a wretched slum…apart from the so-called democratic leaders of the people. All in all, it could even be said that for all their gripes about federal restrictions and such, the space colonists in general all lived better lives than their fellow Humans on Earth.

In one corner of the retreat a group of nobles gathered to discuss recent government concerns or to be more specific, threats to the continued rule of Earth's aristocracy. "It seems that Zeon's princess has finally emerged from hiding." A noblewoman drawled, all the while looking at her compact mirror and adjusting her makeup. "I'm surprised that she's personally going to dirty her hands by directly taking command."

"That woman is deluding herself if she thinks she can lead those upstart peasant yokels in space to victory." Another noble sneered contemptuously. "If both her family and the legendary Red Comet couldn't defeat our Federation, what makes her think she can?"

"It's such a shame really…" a younger noble commented. "…her wealth and influence excuse her peasant heritage. She's quite good-looking too; I certainly wouldn't mind having her brought down here…" His voice trailed off, but there was no mistaking his lewd tone of voice or facial expression.

"That's enough of that." A fourth and older-looking noble said, glaring unhappily at his younger fellow. "Act as your position demands if you please. And I wouldn't underestimate Princess Zabi if I were you. She's the daughter of Admiral Dozle and the niece of Admirals Gihren and Kycilia. And she was raised by the infamous Haman Karn. That's a dangerous combination right there."

"So she's following her predecessors' footsteps?" the young noble sneered. "Then this war is as good as won." The other nobles immediately echoed their agreement, but the older noble kept his silence. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a blonde-haired woman walking to leave and nodded a greeting. A greeting reciprocated by Senator Sayla Mass as she left the gathering and went to catch the next flight to Dakar.

* * *

"I've just finished discussing matters with our agents on the Moon." Mineva said as she took her place at the head of the conference table in the Rewloola's meeting room. "They've agreed to provide us with supplies and additional units. The problem is that the EFF is keeping a tight grip on Granada and with Axis and Sweetwater gone we'll need to find somewhere else to regroup our fleet."

"What about Von Braun?" a Zeon commander asked over a secure line.

"It's unavailable." Mineva said firmly. "Von Braun doesn't wish to draw the Federation's attention by openly supporting us. The leaders of the lunar cities are willing to indirectly support our cause, but that's as far as they'll go. And it isn't cheap either."

"Bloody cowards and mercenaries…" another Zeon officer spat, and Mineva smiled indulgently.

"It could be worse, and at the very least we are receiving assistance. Moving on, what is the situation in Side 3?"

"The republic's leaders are kowtowing to the Federation as usual. However, the resistance has recently gained increased public support with Captain Char's uprising from Sweetwater, however…"

"We'll need to move quickly if we want the resistance to be able to overthrow the republic." Mineva concluded. "We'll let the resistance make the first move, and then we'll move in and consolidate. What are the status of Londo Bell and the rest of the EFF?"

"The Londo Bell is currently regrouping at Side 1." Captain Lyle reported. "Furthermore, the EFF are gathering a fresh fleet at Luna II. We estimate it'll take the latter another month at least before they can become effective, but the former will be able to mobilize in a week."

"Damnation…" the princess cursed. "…we'll have to be combat ready by then. Have our agents located Gryps-II yet?"

"We're narrowing it down, but we haven't…"

"I want that Colony Laser found." Mineva said while glaring at her intelligence chief, causing the man to swallow nervously. "We need that thing to balance the Federation's numerical superiority. Its ability to strike from a distance will also be very useful to eliminate both the California Base and what's left of Jaburo at no cost for us."

"What of Luna II and Granada?"

"We can use Luna II to barter with Side 7." Mineva said thoughtfully. "As for Granada, well it'll do as our headquarters in the absence of a proper space fortress once we secure Side 3. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. We need to regroup the fleet first and then neutralize Londo Bell before we can move into Side 3 or attempt to secure the Colony Laser. What's the status of the Garden of Thorns?"

"It's deserted but it's largely intact."

"Then that's where we'll regroup the fleet." Mineva decided. "I want all our cells in all colonies to be informed that the war will continue. Even with Char Aznable's loss, we won't falter. We won't go into hiding. We are at a disadvantage, but that won't stop us. Wars are fought with weapons, but they are won with spirit. With Amuro Rey gone, the spirit of the Londo Bell is broken. Ours is not. Even with Captain Char gone, I am still in command. I am the last of the Zabi Dynasty, and I will not fail. We will not fail…Sieg Zeon."

The last two words were spoken softly but the gathered Zeon officers responded strongly, shouting "Sieg Zeon!" And ever so slightly, the princess' lips twitched upwards in a smile reminiscent of the infamous Haman Karn.

* * *

"We've received a message from Side 1." A crewman reported on the bridge of a Federation warship serving as the flagship of a small fleet moving to intercept the Rewloola and her escorts.

"What is it?" the portly man sitting on the captain's chair asked. "And who's it from?"

"It's from Captain Bright Noa of the Ra Cailum." The crewman answered. "He recommends that we hold position and standby for reinforcements and further orders. He also recommends that avoid further provocation of the Zeon remnant."

"So the good Captain Bright has no faith in the EFF?" the captain sneered. "Unlike the good captain or his so-called elite Londo Bell however, I have no fear of the ragtag peasant militias once led by the departed Red Comet of Zeon. Signal the fleet to increase speed and have all mobile suits to standby for launch. We'll wipe those Zeon rebels from the stars!"

"Sir…" the XO piped up, trying to reason with the captain. "…the Rewloola outguns us. We also don't know how many mobile suits they have left. Perhaps it would be best if we…"

"Listen to yourself…" the captain said, outraged at the idea. "…are you saying we should just let those rebels go? It's thoughts like that which led to the Zeon getting back on their feet after the One Year War even after the war came to an end. Those Titans had the right idea, gassing rebelling colonies. It's no more than traitors deserve. But no, the AEUG and the Karaba just had to have the treacherous nerve to rebel against the heroes of the Titans. And those cowards on Earth let them get away with it!"

The rest of the bridge crew looked uneasily at each other. Only the captain was from Earth, while the rest of them were all space colonists. And here he was blatantly proclaiming Earth-supremacist ideologies and spouting off pro-Titan proclamations. On one hand, they were loyal Federation soldiers, but on the other they had no liking for the Titans either.

"If it were up to me all those traitors in Side 3 would be dead by now!" the captain continued to rant. "But for now I'll satisfy myself with taking down these rebels. Now carry out your orders!"

The XO looked mutinous, but obeyed nonetheless. "Yes sir."

* * *

"Captain…" the Rewloola's sensor crewman spoke up. "…our scopes have picked up several Federation vessels on an intercept course."

"How many and what class?" Captain Lyle asked as Mineva floated into the bridge and sat on the command throne beside the captain's chair.

"Two Salamis Kai and four Clop-class ships…" the crewman reported back. "…Minovsky Particle interference is increasing. They're probably launching mobile suits."

"…red alert." The captain ordered crisply. "Signal all ships to launch mobile suits and to charge their mega particle cannons. Synchronize all ships' targeting computers with the Rewloola. We'll provide support for our units."

"Roger…mega particle cannons are charged, laser designators active…"

"…fire."

The Rewloola fired first, twelve golden beams searing through the darkness of space towards the advancing EFF ships even as the ship's five Geara Doga's launched. Moments later, the Musakas opened fire as well, a second set of twelve gold-coloured beams lancing out even as they launched their own mobile suits.

None of the Rewloola's shots hit their mark, the beams flying clear of the Federation vessels. "Is this the best the Zeon can do?" the Federation captain sneered, predicting similar results from the second wave. This time though, one of the Musakas' beams clipped one of the adjacent Clop-class ships, the resulting small explosion marking out the ship's location.

"All ships…" Mineva barked out on the Rewloola's bridge. "…target the explosion and fire!" In response, the Zeon fleet fired everything it had on the hapless Clop, ripping it apart with the resulting explosion sending debris flying in all directions. A particularly large fragment clipped another one of the Clops, damaging it and forcing it to disengage. "Evasive…!" Captain Lyle ordered, predicting a retaliatory strike from the EFF. As expected, the EFF returned fire with a vengeance, but the Zeon ships had already moved and avoided the incoming fire with ease.

"All mobile suits commence attack!" the Zeon captain followed through. "All ships provide support fire, but make sure to avoid hitting our own units!"

Mineva stared out into space as it was lit up by crisscrossing beams and small explosions as mobile suits traded fire with beams and missiles. Every now and then, the two fleets fired at each other with their massive guns, but neither managed to inflict additional losses on their opponent. "Captain…" she finally said. "…move the fleet forward. We'll break through the centre of the enemy fleet."

"But your Highness…!"

"If we can sink those two Salamis Kai-class Cruisers, then the EFF will retreat."

"I understand." The captain said, reaching up and touching the rim of his officer's cap for luck. "Signal all ships to close and engage. Concentrate all fire on the Salamis Kai-class ships. Have our mobile suits cover our flanks and rear. We'll take advantage of our heavier guns and armour and break through the centre of the enemy formation."

Engines flaring white-hot behind them, the Zeon fleet moved forward guns blazing while mobile suits redeployed to cover the fleet's aggressive advance. Fortunately the regular EFF still made us of older GM IIIs instead of the newer Jegans used by the Londo Bell, giving the outnumbered Zeon Geara Dogas the technological superiority to balance the EFF's superior numbers. On the Rewloola's bridge, Mineva ground her teeth together as the fleets closed and the warships traded fire aggressively.

The EFF's mega particle cannons cut gashes through the Zeon armour, but the heavier armour of the Zeon warships allowed them to tank the EFF's intense assault. A lucky shot blew away one of the Rewloola's main batteries, but thus far the exchange was beginning to shift to the Zeon's favour, as their return fire began to cause the two larger Federation warships to list and lose power and destroying two of the three remaining Clops.

"What the hell are you doing?" the Federation captain screamed, desperately ignoring that most of his fleet had been sunk. "There are only three warships! Concentrate your fire and destroy them all!"

"…captain!" the XO shouted in horror as a Geara Doga flew up right before the cruiser's bridge and aimed its underslung grenade launcher.

"Hurry and do something!" the captain shouted as he desperately turned and ran, only to be vaporized along with the rest of the bridge when the mobile suit fired its weapon. The bridge's destruction set off a series of explosions that destroyed the entire cruiser. The two remaining Federation warships immediately aimed all their weapons at the Rewloola and fired, only for one of the flanking Musakas to increase speed and interpose itself between the flagship and the enemy ships, the crew sacrificing themselves to protect the princess and her chariot. Incensed, the Rewloola returned fire and destroyed the last Salamis Kai.

Unwilling to continue and fight an obviously losing battle, the last Federation warship launched single flares and began to retreat. The five remaining GM IIIs followed suit, allowing the five remaining Geara Dogas to retreat as well. As the Zeon warships flew past the drifting debris of the battle, Captain Lyle raised his hand and gave a salute to the fallen, both from the Federation and from the Zeon. Princess Mineva did likewise, standing from her command throne and honouring the fallen heroes of both sides.

* * *

Meanwhile at Side 1 Captain Bright Noa was working himself to a fury. "Where's the Granada garrison now?" he demanded.

"They'll be arriving at Luna II by tomorrow morning GMT." Another officer reported, but that did nothing to improve Bright's mood.

"It'll be too late by then!" the captain roared, slamming his fist down on his desk. "What the hell are those idiots on Earth thinking?"

"EFF Central Command wants to regroup all our forces prior to redeployment." Another officer said, explaining Earth's intentions to the irate captain. "They believe that another uprising so soon after a catastrophic defeat – to say nothing of the loss of the enemy supreme commander – is unlikely."

"Unlikely my ass…" Bright snarled. "…didn't Intelligence forward the information about Princess Zabi coming out of hiding and taking command? Or do they really think a woman is no threat to them? Apparently they've forgotten just how dangerous Haman Karn was!"

"Earth believes that Princess Zabi will take some more time to assert her authority over Casval Rem Deikun's forces…"

"Then they're wrong." Bright said before pausing to calm himself down. "If anything, the loss of Char will only drive the remaining Zeon forces into the princess' arms, as she can provide the leadership that will allow them to avoid Federation retribution in the short term, and purpose in the long term. And the princess has access to immense funds and influences to support her version of the Zeon movement. If we're not careful, we'll face revolts across the Earth Sphere, and possibly even economic warfare from Jupiter."

"However until Luna II finished regrouping the EFSF we can expect no further support…"

"I know that!" Bright retorted before standing up and looking out his office's window at the colony interior. "Fortunately Londo Bell is not obliged to obey Luna II's directives without direct intervention from Earth. How much longer will it take until we can launch our fleet?"

"Another week at best." An officer replied apologetically and Bright wearily rubbed his eyes in exasperation. "With the EFSF regrouping at Luna II our supplies and such are…"

"Then it seems we can do nothing…" Bright interrupted darkly. "…to prevent the Zeon from temporarily taking control of Granada."

* * *

A/N

I've decided to discontinue Clash of Civilizations simply because I felt that it made the Zeon too heroic. Zeon are the bad guys after all, and they'll definitely be bad guys here. As a warning the trope 'The Bad Guy Wins' is in effect here, so yeah…anyway, as you've noticed Mineva is OOC here, since I'm having her channel Haman. Whether or not that's a bad thing is something I have no answer to either.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Second Coming of Haman Karn

Chapter 2

Day dawned over the skyline of Zum City, Side 3's capital. For most, it seemed to be just another day in the life and times of the Earth Sphere. However, more than a few citizens felt a sense of foreboding, as if something terrible was about to happen. And they would be right. Ever since Char's failed attempt to drop Axis on Earth almost two weeks ago, agents loyal to the last princess had been in contact with representatives of the resistance, people who still believed in the brilliant future envisioned by the Zabi Dynasty and the promise of freedom from Earth's rule.

Today would be the day they would strike. Today the traitors of the republic's parliament would be opening their session for the year, and today they would pay for their treason with their lives. Preparations had quietly proceeded night and day for the past week, supplies and equipment purchased with Zabi gold secretly smuggled into the colony from the Moon. Underground publications had been stirring up public dissent against the republic's leaders, exposing their scandals and financial discrepancies in a thus far successful effort to undermine their authority. Not that the republic had much support to begin with. The so-called independent Republic of Zeon established after the end of the One Year War had always been propped up by the Federation's financial support and if necessary, covert military action. To a people who had believed themselves capable of standing apart from the Federation, this was the ultimate disgrace. The republic's open support of the Titans – even going so far as to surrender their prized space fortress – had further weakened public belief in the republic, and now the resistance would strike the first blow of many to pave the way for the princess' return.

In one of the comfort rooms of the parliament building, a young woman wearing the uniform of civilian security detail fixed her hair. As she finished, she briefly stroked her chest and the underlying dead man's switch that had recently been implanted. She sighed, and then hardened her eyes. Today she would make those traitors pay, especially that cowardly pig she had been forced to protect as a bodyguard…but with no one to protect her from him. Elsewhere, resistance fighters prepped their weapons and waited for the appointed time, steeling themselves for the fight to come – theirs was a suicide mission, their only goal to push the traitors into the death trap that was prepared for them and which they fully deserved.

Sniper teams armed with both anti-personnel and anti-materiel rifles used fire escapes to climb up to the rooftops overlooking their target, setting up their weapons and calming themselves down; snipers high on adrenaline could easily get excited and miss their targets. Meanwhile in the sewers – used by the resistance as an unsavoury and unfortunate means of undetectable travel across any colony – yet more resistance teams waited with heavy weaponry to support their attack.

* * *

The signal that marked the beginning of the resistance operation was a car bomb exploding three blocks away from the Administrative Complex, a plain clothes resistance fighter placing an improvised explosive device under a random vehicle parked by the street. As a ripple of concern passed through the security personnel around the complex and the bureaucrats near the entrances, another car bomb exploded this time barely a block away. And then a third bomb went up, this time under the very car being checked at the main gate of the Administrative Complex. The security officer inspecting the vehicle barely had time to register the boxes of explosives in the backseat (with more in the cargo compartment) before the driver blew himself up with a smirk and a shouted "…Sieg Zeon!"

The explosion at the main gate caused panic among the gathered bureaucrats, who began to run into the building and its apparently offered safety. Attempts by civilian security officers and republic marines to organize themselves failed miserably as resistance snipers prepositioned at nearby skyscrapers opened fire, killing officers with deadly precision. Resistance assault teams now moved in, using buses with crude, welded-on rams to smash their way into and around the complex; pouring out of their improvised APCs, they opened up with assault rifles and grenade launchers, taking advantage of the confusion for maximum effect.

However the advantage of surprise could only last for so long; before long, republic reinforcements were closing in on the complex. However the resistance weren't inexperienced either and they had a man of their own in the republic military who was more than willing to feed information to them about republic response protocols. Car bombs began to explode one after another, and reinforcement columns found themselves unable to advance with key roads being blocked by burning wreckage.

Attempts by the police to support of the military by rooting out the resistance snipers were failing as well. The resistance had heavily infiltrated the police and the military (though in the case of the latter it was largely among the junior officers and the rank-and-file) and simply went through the motions allowing the resistance snipers to continue operating with impunity. The police also looked the other way as resistance teams equipped with AA missiles emerged from the sewer system and positioned themselves in key alleys and from there shot down attempts by republic special ops to drop elite troops into the complex.

Back at the complex, the republic forces had recovered and were now using the windows and the outer portions of the building as well as their own vehicles for cover, inflicting losses on the resistance and forcing the others back behind their buses and into cover. Their goal now was simply to keep the resistance back until reinforcements arrived, a goal that began to look increasingly distant as snipers armed with anti-materiel rifles opened up and took out the vehicles being used as cover by republic forces as well as pinning down the ones hiding behind the parliament building's outer structures. This in turn allowed the resistance to set up crew-served machine guns, which immediately opened up on the windows, forcing the republic forces back. A bloody stalemate ensued, but before long reinforcements finally began to arrive…which was what the resistance fighters were waiting for.

"Quickly back into the buses!" the ground commander ordered, and the resistance fighters fell back into their APCs, determined to fight to the last man. "Medea-1…" the commander broadcast over all republic lines, signalling the one to deliver the coup d'état inside the building. "…Garma Zabi rides into the battlefield..."

* * *

"…and from thence into the Halls of Glory." Security Officer Cassandra Bell responded before drawing her sidearm and shooting a shocked and surprised Senator Leon Hood in the forehead. The fat pig kept the façade of a grandfatherly and caring politician, and looked the part too…if not for the fact that he had a taste for young girls, a taste that his bodyguard had not been spared from. As screams and panic erupted around her Cassandra continued to fire while running to a nearby pillar, shooting and killing at key government figures in sight. Other security officers returned fire, but she managed to get behind cover in time. Once in cover, she pulled out and primed a grenade, throwing it behind her and using the explosion as a distraction to run towards a nearby set of stairs.

Truth be told, she could easily just kill herself and blow everything to hell then and there, but she wanted to kill as many of these parasites with her own hands. She wanted to make these cronies of the corrupt Federation to know what it felt like to have their lives on the line, just like the people of Side 3 felt when Federation 'peacekeepers' had occupied the colonies for several months after the end of the One Year War, and ever since then how the lower classes were preyed upon by criminal cartels backed by rich and landed families on Earth. The same peacekeepers and cartels allowed into the Zeon homeland by the same people she was killing and would kill in the end.

Such thoughts unfortunately distracted her, a fatal mistake as a security officer with the advantage of higher ground on the stairs shot her several times when she attempted to run up the stairs. Collapsing backward to the ground and with blood pooling around her and trickling from her mouth and nostrils, she breathed heavily as more of her former colleagues gathered around her, one of whom kicking away her fallen weapon. "Treacherous bitch…" one of them spat, and she smiled weakly in response.

"…do you know…" she weakly wheezed through blood-stained lips. "…what a dead man's switch is?"

She chuckled with a watery voice as she watched their eyes widen in shock and horror. "Glory…" she whispered weakly as darkness crept over her sight. "…to the nation of Zeon."

"Son of a…!" one of the surrounding security officers barely had time to say as fire bombs located in the basement exploded, demolishing the building from the ground up and incinerating everyone inside. The explosion also set off plastic explosives placed on and in the support structures of the surrounding wings, causing them to collapse and burying anyone inside and in the close vicinity. All the explosives had been placed the night before by resistance members also working as part of government maintenance services.

"Sieg Zeon!" the resistance ground commander shouted on all channels as he and all his surviving troops – pinned down and trapped in their APCs by republic forces – detonated their remaining explosives to avoid capture and interrogation, and in the process blew away the closest of their enemies. His final defiance – broadcast over multiple channels – would signal the retreat of the other resistance forces, and the beginning of increasingly public discontent against the puppet Republic of Zeon.

* * *

Sometime afterwards, a fleet of ten Zeon warships gathered in the long-abandoned Garden of Thorns, former stronghold of the late Admiral Aiguille Delaz. It wasn't just warships of course; multiple supply and mobile repair ships were present, repairing and refurbishing the fleet's ships and mobile suits. Furthermore, this was only a small fraction of the entire Zeon fleet; the rest of the fleet – over thirty warships with even more under construction – was gathered in the recently abandoned Federation base at Granada, now under Zeon control.

As it was, most of the supply and mobile repair ships were packing in and moving out, the fleet's repair and resupply all but completed. Most of them would be heading to re-join the rest of the fleet as Granada, but one ship – the freighter Garencieres – would be heading to Von Braun instead, to await the next load of next generation mobile suits sought by the princess.

Meanwhile aboard the flagship Rewloola, Princess Mineva Lao Zabi stood up from behind her desk in her office to receive her elite guards. A beeping from a nearby console drew away her aide, while the princess regarded the newly-arrived elites with an expectant air as they stood at attention before her. Their leader, a redheaded adolescent stepped forwards and gave a salute.

"The Knight of One Marida Cruz…" Marida Cruz, Captain of the Knights of the Round reported. "…and the Knights of the Round reporting for duty your Highness."

"It's good to see you as well." Mineva replied, returning her Knight's salute. "And you're just in time as well…"

The princess broke off as her aide raised her voice in surprise. "What was that? I see…I'll inform the princess immediately." The aide now turned back to the expectant princess with a satisfied smile. "Good news your Highness; it seems that our friends in the resistance have succeeded in destroying the republic parliament."

"Well that is good news." The princess agreed with her own satisfied smile. "What is the public opinion in Side 3 at this point?"

"According to our latest Intelligence report, royalist support is now at forty percent, republican support is at twenty-five percent and with the remaining thirty-five percent currently politically neutral in their views."

"We'll have to swing that remaining thirty-five percent to our side to obtain the majority support of Side 3." Mineva said while sitting down and adopting a thoughtful expression on her face. "I wonder…no, I've no doubt about it. If we succeed in Operation Homecoming then we will have the political support we'll need to peacefully restore the Principality."

The princess now turned to her Knights. "Now then, I suppose you have a question Knight of One?"

"Yes your Highness." Marida said with a respectful nod. "What is our next course of action?"

"We'll be heading to Earth from here." The princess replied, taking out a file and handing it to Marida. "We've been in contact with some of our forces stranded on Earth from back during the One Year War. A group of them have banded together under a Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Anderson and will be attacking a major Federation base under construction in the Indian Ocean. From there we'll head to New Guinea to join up with another group of Zeon remnants before proceeding to Torrington Base in Australia to…requisition their H.L.V.s to get all our forces back to space."

"Just for clarification then, your Highness…" Marida said after skimming the file given by the princess. "…is the objective of this operation to recover veteran troops and pilots to sustain further operations?"

"Correct…" Mineva said with a nod. "…although with this latest piece of news, I believe reuniting these soldiers with their families will be the final act we need to bring public support in Side 3 firmly to our side."

"I see…" Marida said, closing the file and handing it to one of the Knights behind her. "…when do we depart?"

"The fleet will launch…" Mineva paused while checking her wristwatch. "…in one hour. But first we will be holding a brief memorial service."

"…a memorial service?" Marida asked, clearly surprised at the thought and causing Mineva to flash an indulgent smile.

"Well, this is the Garden of Thorns. I think we should honour all those who came before us, don't you?"

* * *

Meanwhile a group of college students were touring Anaheim's factories in Von Braun City; as the group passed a guard guarding a service door, a blonde girl wearing a tan overcoat and beret fell behind and covertly handed the guard an ID. The guard took a quick glance at the ID and once the group had passed around a corner, opened the door for the girl. "…make it quick." He hissed and the girl nodded before quickly striding into the service network.

Several minutes later, the girl emerged on an empty service platform overlooking a restricted manufacturing block. Hiding behind a trash can, the girl quietly pulled out a small camera and began to take pictures of the mobile suit being assembled below them. Afterwards, she quietly proceeded to another hiding spot, and this time recorded a video with an audio recording of a conversation between several technicians. She smiled as she overheard them speaking about the new mobile suit's capabilities. She needed to get this information to Granada as soon as possible.

A few more minutes later, she went back into the service network and quietly made her way to the ground floor. After waiting for some time, she covertly emerged from an unguarded door and re-joined the very same group that she broken off from earlier all the while softly whistling a tune to herself.

* * *

"As we suspected…" the girl's voice came over an encrypted line to the Zeon Commander's office at Granada. "…a new Gundam is being built by Anaheim Electronics here at Von Braun."

"How far would you estimate its completion?"

"I'd rather not presume." The girl replied. "However, I can tell you that this Gundam is meant for use by a Newtype."

"Is that right?" the Zeon Commander said with a smirk while looking at the other person in the room. "Her Highness will be most pleased by this turn of events. Have you anything further to report?"

"Yes, I've passed over all my photos and recordings to one of our transporters. They should be arriving in Granada by tomorrow."

"Understood, that will be all for now."

* * *

The Zeon fleet at the Garden of Thorns was finally ready to deploy, but not before holding a memorial ceremony dedicated to the Delaz Fleet lost ten years ago. Atop each of the nine Musaka-class Cruisers in the fleet a single person wearing a normal suit stood carrying a hundred paper cranes in their arms. Mineva herself was in a normal suit atop the Rewloola, carrying the last one hundred paper cranes to complete the offering of one thousand paper cranes to appease not just the spirits of the Delaz Fleet but all the spirits of the Zeon dead from the war for freedom from the Earth Federation. Mobile suits stood at attention at each ships' launch decks, including the twelve Qubeley Mass Production Types used by the Knights of the Round on the Rewloola, however none of the pilots stayed in their cockpits; instead they stood at attention at the feet of their mobile suits. Aboard the ships, every crewman and officer waited at their station for their princess to begin.

"Here…" Mineva began, addressing the entire fleet which in turn broadcast her speech over a secure line to civilian channels on the Moon and all the Sides. "…Admiral Aiguille Delaz and his fleet set out to continue the fight to free Humanity's souls from gravity's grip. Here, they set out to give meaning to all the sacrifices made in the past in pursuit of a brilliant future amongst the stars of space. Let us remember their actions, and dedicate all our future efforts to make their sacrifice mean something, and in so doing redress the cruel betrayal of the traitor Cima Garahau. We shall now begin our campaign to bring about Zeon Deikun's dream of freedom for all space colonists, an end to the repressive and tyrannical rule of the corrupt Earth Federation, and a Newtype Awakening to herald a new dawn for Mankind. But first, to the honoured dead of our people, we offer this humble gift."

As she said those words, she released the paper cranes out into space along with the others, sending them flying out into the stars. Most of them were poorly made, something to be expected, but her Newtype abilities sensed the genuine and powerful emotions of those who had made the cranes. Some of the soldiers had even touchingly written dedications on their cranes, dedicating them to dead friends or lovers. "To all those who came before us…" she said, her eyes tearing as she remembered Haman and what few memories she had of her parents. "…the stars guide you to where heroes rest for eternity. And to my brave soldiers of Zeon, may the blessing of the stars be on us from this point onwards. Sieg Zeon!"

"Sieg Zeon! Sieg Zeon! Sieg Zeon!"

* * *

A/N

I was going to post this next Monday, but I was bored and decided I might as well get on with it. Yes, I put a bit of Code Geass here with the Knights of the Round and all that, but since Mineva is following Haman's example (a cross between an absolute monarchy and a meritocratic aristocracy) I decided to use Britannia as the model for Mineva's future empire.

As for why the Knights are using Qubeley MPTs...First they're all Newtypes. Second the Jagd Doga doesn't really do Newtype pilots justice considering it has so few funnels and can't even recharge them. And third, none of the custom models from Unicorn have been developed yet, this being set in UC 0093 and not UC 0096 (no, that Gundam is not the Unicorn).

Any further questions will be answered in the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Second Coming of Haman Karn

Chapter 3

Dakar: a city on the Atlantic coast of West Africa and the headquarters of the Federation Assembly, the latter making it a city of great importance. Strangely enough, the city had never been attacked during the One Year War, though in later conflicts it would later come under attack twice. First was during the Gryps Conflict, when the Titans had attacked the AEUG and Karaba forces occupying the city and ironically confirmed before the Assembly the corruption inherent within their ranks. The second time was during the First Neo-Zeon War, when the forces led by Haman Karn attacked and occupied the city in a failed effort to pressure the Federation Government to surrender, only to be driven off once again by the AEUG and Karaba forces.

With the Second Neo-Zeon War now being fought in space, first under the leader of Char Aznable and now under Princess Mineva Lao Zabi, security and defence had been ramped up. MPs manned checkpoints throughout the city, GM IIIs regularly patrolled the surrounding desert both on foot or flying over it on Base Jabbers, and even Asshimars could be seen flying over the city in regular air defence patrols. Zaku Marine Types patrolled the coastal waters, while yet more mobile suits were stockpiled in specially-built shelters and fresh troops drilled in prefabricated garrison bases around and in the city.

At this point in time the Federation Assembly was in full emergency session, discussing means to prevent the restoration of the Zeon throne and pre-empt further insurgencies against Federation governance. They had been in session for quite some time already, and tempers and spirits were running high. More than once a recess had to be called after a few senators had started brawling in the meeting chamber.

"Until the Earth Federation Space Forces have completed their reorganization at Luna II we are vulnerable." Senator Sayla Mass, famed veteran of the One Year War and former lover of the White Unicorn reasoned out to the Assembly. "The Zeon remnants are too well-equipped. They're more dangerous than you people realize."

"Dangerous…" another senator countered. "…to our forces in space but not to the Federation as a whole."

"The Zeon remnants will continue to receive support from the space colonists…"

Sayla broke off as special envoy Martha Vist Carbine entered the chamber and took her seat among the Speaker's advisors. "The space colonists are of no further concern to us." Martha pointed out as she took her seat. "It seems that in the wake of the massacre of the republic's parliament the prime minister no longer believes that Londo Bell is capable of dealing with the insurgents on its own. A more specialized task force, one that is capable of performing the actions necessary to prevent the insurgents from posing further harm to the Federation will be formed separate from the Londo Bell and the regular military."

"That's insane." Sayla gasped, drawing Martha's gaze towards her. "Is the prime minister trying to re-establish the Titans?"

"The Titans' actions certainly were excessive." Martha conceded. "But they had the right idea: sometimes things have to be done to ensure the public good."

"The situation isn't nearly as simple as that!" Sayla insisted, incensed by the very idea. "The tighter our grip becomes and the more the space colonists will want to be rid of us!"

"But not if we 'tighten' as you put it our grip fast and hard enough." The masked man that had accompanied Martha and now stood by her shoulder commented. Sayla narrowed her eyes at him, eyeing the Federation uniform and the special headset that the man wore. Something about his voice and her perception of him felt familiar to her.

"Any attack against the Federation by the Zeon remnants by this point would be a pointless endeavour!" the senator Sayla was verbally sparring with just moments ago said passionately. "What we need to decide right now are means to end those rebels once and for all and set in place measures to prevent a resurgence of anti-government forces! Therefore I propose that we provide full support for our new elite task force!"

Mutterings and whispered discussions immediately erupted among the gathered senators, which only broke off when the masked man spoke up once more. "Troops and equipment have already been prepared for ECOAS. All that needs to be decided now is who will lead it…and if the Assembly will provide the appropriate funding of course."

"True even if we provide funding proper leadership will be needed to lead…ECOAS as you called it to victory." The senator conceded, noting the man's rank insignia. "Since you brought up the matter I don't suppose you would be willing to take up that role, would you?"

"Then I shall endeavour to meet your expectations." The masked man said with a smile, before turning to meet Sayla's infuriated gaze with his own inscrutable gaze. Sayla immediately ground her teeth and narrowed her eyes in intense concentration, fighting back with her Newtype abilities against the sheer pressure of the man's mind. There was no doubt about it; Martha's new enforcer and the one who would hold the leash of the Federation's new guard dogs would be this powerful Cyber-Newtype.

"Enough…!" Martha snapped out, her sharp voice cutting through the whispers of the senators at the sight of a mental battle between a Newtype – and one of their own at that – and a Cyber-Newtype – one of the military's pet psychopaths. "Frontal, restrain yourself!"

"Understood envoy." He replied, breaking off mental contact and conceding victory to the blonde senator, who swallowed anxiously. The Zabi Princess was supposed to be a powerful Newtype herself, but she was still a child nonetheless. As such Sayla found herself concerned for the young princess' well-being, knowing all too well from past experience that battles between Newtypes were bloody affairs.

"All this bickering amongst ourselves is pointless." Martha said confidently. "Assuming that this august Assembly will approve funding for the prime minister's newly-formed ECOAS task force, Commander Full Frontal will take command and commence preparations for clean-up operations immediately. And then we will finally rid ourselves of the Zeon rebels – and set into effect countermeasures to pre-empt future insurgencies – once and for all."

Sayla didn't bother to say anything. She knew that anything further that she could say would simply be ignored or circumvented by the hawks of the Assembly. The only thing she could do by this point was to make a polite withdrawal…with a sting. Gathering her papers she walked out of the chamber followed by her bodyguards, all the while ignoring the Speaker telling her to return to her seat. Moments later, the other moderates followed in her footsteps.

At her seat among the Speaker's advisors, Martha smiled with satisfaction. Even with the moderates' protest by walk-out, there were still enough members of the Assembly present to provide enough votes to approve ECOAS' funding. True, the political backlash caused by the moderates would be annoying, but that would only be in the short-term. In the long-term, once Zeon had been neutralized the moderates would find their political careers irreparably damaged by this pointless protest of theirs.

* * *

"Your Highness…" Captain Lyle contacted the princess over a secure line. "…Londo Bell's fleet is moving to intercept."

"How many ships do they have?"

"Six Clop and four Salamis Kai-classes, and the Ra Cailum; furthermore they're launching mobile suits!"

"We've no choice." Mineva replied from the Rewloola's launch bay, floating into her mobile suit's cockpit and sealing her helmet's visor. The Queen Mansa was old, but it was fast and manoeuvrable with its powerful engines and wing and tail binders, easily capable of going up against Re-GZs and winning. Especially given the unit's sheer firepower; the Queen Mansa had no less than seven mega particle cannons across its body, and thirty funnels stored in its tail binder in addition to a pair of standard beam sabres. "We'll have to break through them. Have the fleet continue moving to Earth; we can't afford to miss our window and leave Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson's troops in the lurch."

"Your Highness with all due respect I believe you're taking too many risks."

"I know…" she conceded, running quick diagnostics on her unit's systems. "…but at this point we have no choice but to take a few risks. And in any case victory goes to the one who goes the furthest."

"Yes ma'am…good luck."

"Thank you. And stay safe on your way back to Granada as well. Good men are hard to find." She said, activating the panoramic monitor as she did so and revealing the Qubeley Mass Production Types used by the Knights of the Round. Like the Queen Mansa the Qubeley and its variants were old but powerful machines, with thirty funnels and dual mega particle cannon in addition to standard beam guns and beam sabres. They were quite manoeuvrable too…if not for their underpowered engines. Mineva had ordered their engines to be refitted, until finally the Qubeleys could match Jegans and Re-GZs without getting out-manoeuvred and being forced to depend on their funnels just to survive.

"…not bad at all…" Mineva commented as she activated her unit and walked towards a launch catapult. "…a unit worthy of Zeon's Princess. Knights, make sure your ballutes are functional. I don't want any of you burning up as we enter Earth's atmosphere."

"Roger!"

"Let's do this…Mineva Zabi, Queen Mansa launching!"

The Queen Mansa launched, plasma flaring from its engines. Within minutes the rest of the Knights had launched as well, forming up behind their princess. At the same time Geara Dogas were launching from the other ships in the Zeon fleet, and after the princess and her elites had launched, the Rewloola also launched its Geara Dogas.

* * *

"The Zeon fleet has launched mobile suits." The Ra Cailum's sensor officer shouted. "Minovsky Particle interference is increasing, but we estimate at least thirty Geara Dogas, and seven heavy mobile suits…unable to identify due to interference!"

"At least thirty mobile suits…" Bright echoed as he sat in the captain's chair. "…that means there's probably more. Damn, they outnumber us. Prepare to fire the mega particle cannons, and make sure not to hit our units…fire!"

* * *

The Londo Bell fleet fired, bright red beams searing through space past the closing mobile suits of both and heading for the Zeon fleet. The Zeon ships evaded the attack and returned fire, the two fleets moving laterally to keep their respective broadsides trained on each other while their mobile suits duelled in the intervening space.

"Zeon mobile suit squads, focus on breaking through the federal lines to attack their ships, but don't waste your lives!" Mineva ordered over static-choked lines. "Knights of the Round our objective is to break through the federal lines and make for Earth. Now, follow my lead!"

The Queen Mansa flew forwards towards the Earth, at least nine Federation mobile suits moving to block her way beam rifles firing. Mineva dodged the shots before firing her rear and arm-mounted mega particle cannons, forcing the Federation mobile suits to dodge and allowing the Queen Mansa to fly through their formations. Simultaneously, she deployed several funnels, ripping apart three Jegans in a storm of yellow beams. Mineva smirked in triumph, before gasping in surprise as she barely avoided several shots from a closing Re-GZ.

Cursing she drew a beam sabre and parried the enemy's attack before firing the face-mounted mega particle cannon and forcing the enemy mobile suit back. "As should be expected from the Londo Bell, they have a lot of skilled pilots." She whispered to herself, putting some space between her and the Re-GZ while firing her arm-mounted mega particle cannons but before the Re-GZ could resume its attack one of the Knights shot it in the back. Mineva gave a nod to the Knight before spotting another Re-GZ fighting a Geara Doga. The Re-GZ kicked the Zeon mobile suit away and aimed its rifle.

"Well we can't have that, can we now?" she asked metaphorically, placing her Queen Mansa in between the two units. The Federation mobile suit fired…only for the beam to disperse as it hit Mineva's favourite feature of the Queen Mansa: the shoulder-mounted I-Field Beam Deflectors. Smirking at the thought of the surprised expression on the Federation pilot's face, Mineva aimed and fired one of her arm-mounted mega particle cannons, vaporizing the Re-GZ.

"Let's see how you like being flown circles around." She hissed, launching all thirty of her funnels. The small weapons flew around the battlefield at high speed before firing, destroying six Jegans without giving any of them a chance to fight back. Recalling all her funnels, Mineva flew towards the Earth, the six Qubeleys of the Knights of the Round following leaving carnage behind them.

* * *

"…the heavy mobile suits are headed for Earth?" Bright wondered. "Are there any other units equipped with ballutes among the Zeon forces?"

"There are none!"

"What's so important on the surface that they'd risk seven heavy mobile suits to retrieve? In any case, we can't let them through. Launch the reserve units and have them intercept!"

* * *

"Your Highness, there's a solar energy satellite nearby." The Knight of Five, Glen Archer said. "If we destroy it we can disrupt the enemy's surface operations; request permission to attack."

Mineva checked her own sensors and spotted the satellite. Then she checked the distance and ETA to the re-entry point. "Can you do it in seven minutes?" she asked.

"…yes!"

"Do it!"

"Thank you very much!" Archer said before he broke formation and headed for the satellite.

"Marida…" Mineva called out, and a small image of the Knight of One appeared on her unit's panoramic monitor. "…cover Lieutenant Archer. And make sure to get to the re-entry point in time."

"Understood…" Marida replied before cutting the line as her unit broke away as well. She turned her attentions towards the Earth, but only had a few moments of peace before an alarm indicated the approach of several units at high speed from behind them.

"…nine units. They're damn persistent!" she growled launching her funnels along with the remaining Knights. The funnels opened fire, taking down three units but the other six just dispersed and moved to engage the Zeon elites in melee. Snarling, Mineva drew her beam sabre and moved to intercept.

Meanwhile the Knight of Five was having trouble as a Re-GZ took pot-shots at him from behind while simultaneously dodging laser blasts from the solar energy satellite's own defence system. Back during the One Year War, mobile suits didn't have to worry about laser weaponry due to the widespread adoption of semi-transparent coating, but with the development of beam weaponry the use of aforementioned coating lapsed. By UC 0093, no mobile suits were protected by semi-transparent coating, and Lieutenant Archer didn't dare risking his luck. As a soldier and more importantly as a Knight of the Round he was fully prepared to lay his life down for the cause, but to die at the hands of an automated defence system was just insulting.

The situation calmed down somewhat when Marida took down the Re-GZ by shooting it in the back. "Archer, what are you doing?" she demanded. "Hurry and destroy that satellite!"

"I know!" he snapped back before firing several shots from his arm-mounted beam guns all the while dodging additional laser blasts. Three of the beams hit home, setting off a chain reaction that blew the satellite apart. "Let's get out of here!"

Elsewhere Mineva stabbed a Jegan before using her I-Field to deflect a beam from another Jegan which was quickly dispatched by another one of the Knights. A faint red glow was beginning to surround the mobile suits present, causing the princess to snap out a series of words normally heard in backstreet gambling dens when someone was found to have more aces than would normally be expected from a standard card deck. "Time's up! Marida, Archer, where the hell are you?"

"We're here your Highness!" the Knight of Five shouted in reply, firing a beam gun and destroying one more Jegan. The last Federation mobile suit struggled to pull free of the gravity well but it was already too late; all mobile suits in the combat zone were already caught in Earth's gravity.

"All units activate your ballutes!" the princess ordered, and moments later all Zeon mobile suits were safely lying on their deployed ballutes as they descended down to Earth's surface. Mineva grimaced as she saw the last Jegan burn up in the atmosphere, and she raised a hand in salute. It was one thing to die on the battlefield in the service of your country – even one as corrupt as the Federation – but it was another to burn to death because of a mistake. "The stars guide you to Elysium brave one." She whispered.

* * *

The man's name was Michael Rain. His rank was corporal. He was a traitor. He had served as an occupational security officer back during the Federation occupation of Side 3 after the One Year War, and afterwards had entered the republic military with glowing recommendations from Federation officers. He had continued to serve the republic, enduring the sneers and scorn of his fellow soldiers, believing that despite the corruption of both the republic and the Federation their democratic ideals set them apart from the autocratic Principality and the Zabi Dynasty.

And then his wife was raped and murdered. He himself was a witness to the final act of the tragedy, but did absolutely nothing. Instead he had gone to court, believing and hoping that the system would live up to its ideals. But the criminal was the son of a 'businessman' with connections to the Earth-born elite, and the courts just gave him a show trial. His attempts to obtain justice all bogged down in red tape and bureaucracy, and only then were his eyes opened to the truth…but it was too little, too late. Under the Principality the bastard would have been shot, connections or not, but the republic cared only for keeping the Federation and its aristocracy happy.

Driven mad by grief and rage, he had gone after the bastard himself, only to be beaten to a pulp for his troubles. He would probably have been killed too, had resistance fighters not intervened. Not even Side 3's underworld would dare go up against the resistance. Not now, when they were receiving Zabi gold and help from the royal family's many connections on the Moon and across the solar system.

The resistance offered him a chance. They told him he could avenge himself and his wife against the corrupt system, and redeem himself for his past betrayal of the rightful rulers of Side 3. They knew of his skills as a sniper. They had someone they wanted to kill. And he was perfect for the job. But Michael didn't want to live anymore. And he didn't want to be a traitor either.

So now here he was, braced against a sniper rifle on a skyscraper's rooftop and watching the republic's president as he chatted with the Federation Ambassador near the entrance of the Government Offices. He sighted his scope, took the wind into account, stilled his breathing…and pulled the trigger. He sighed with satisfaction as he saw the president go down, his head reduced to mush. He turned away from the sniper rifle and sat back against the wall.

He had done it. He wasn't a traitor anymore. But he also wanted to see his wife again. He looked at the weapon beside him…then shrugged. The resistance would come and get it soon assuming the police didn't first. Either way, he didn't care anymore. He lit one of his wife's favourite cigarettes and took a pull. Then he pulled out his sidearm and placed against his head. "I'm coming Eileen." He said cheerfully. Then he pulled the trigger.

* * *

A/N

Yes Full Frontal has finally made an appearance! But he's not the same guy from Unicorn. Yes, he's blonde, he sounds like Shuichi Ikeda (HE IS CHAR), and he wears a mask but he's not the same guy. They just have the same name (and the same voice).

And yes, the Queen Mansa has I-Field Beam Deflectors. They're actually based on the Psycho Gundam Mk. 2's deflector bits.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Second Coming of Haman Karn

Chapter 4

The day dawned over the Indian Ocean, the clouds and the sky tinted rose and pink by the rising Sun. The Federation's newest military base in the Indian Ocean sprawled along the coast, docks stretching out over the water with warships and other seagoing vessels docked alongside the prefabricated piers, while structures and roads were arranged in an orderly fashion over the entire land area surrounded by a cyclone wire fence topped with coils of barbed wire. An airstrip dominated by massive Garuda-class Atmospheric Carriers stretched far inland as well. The base was by no means complete though; cranes stood alongside skeletal or half-complete structures, the massive constructs a stark contrast to the sleek mobile suits and the relatively tiny vehicles dotting the facility.

Now the Federation can be said to be many things, but inefficient was not one of those. For all its bureaucratic pandering, whenever the Federation found itself motivated to do something, it could and did so in a surprisingly quick fashion. The swift mass production and deployment of the RGM-79 GM back during the One Year War and the establishment of the Titans following Operation Stardust are both testaments to the Federation's ability to perform as needed…whenever it wanted to that is. Ultimately, the Federation was too tied up in its Earth-bound idiosyncrasies to truly unlock its potential.

The new Indian Ocean base was a product of a recent measure passed by the Federation Assembly in the wake of the near cataclysmic attempt by Char Aznable to drop the Zeon space fortress of Axis on Earth. Had he succeeded, the massive asteroid would not only have devastated a large portion of the planet's surface, but would most likely have triggered a nuclear winter – all part of Char's plan to force Earth's population to emigrate to space in an effort to bring about his father's dream of a Newtype Awakening in space.

However all that is beside the point of the Federation's Security Enforcement Act, the ultimate goal of which was to secure Earth from further threats from space and to maintain federal governance. As a result of the Act's passage, mobile suits, warships, and military bases were being constructed at a rate not seen since the One Year War came to an end. At least, that was the idea.

The EFSF's reorganization at Luna II ironically enough allowed Zeon loyalists to rally around the last princess, retaking Granada and sponsoring a growing insurrection in Side 3. The loss of Granada's shipyards and factories, along with corporate control of Von Braun's own facilities only worked to delay the EFSF's reconstruction. Although Sides 1 and 4 remained loyal to the Federation (which allowed Londo Bell to regroup and recover much more quickly compared to the rest of the EFF), Side 7 and the lunar settlements were simmering with discontent against the new production quotas and financial resolutions issued by the Federation Government on Earth.

Side 2 was rocked with anti-Federation demonstrations, as was Side 3, where public support of the pro-Zabi underground resistance movement and the princess' continued operations against the Federation had all but become vocal following the assassination of the unpopular president of the Republic of Zeon. Even the republic military and civilian police were wavering, with only the most senior officers remaining true to the pro-Federation government that was rapidly losing control of Zum City and the rest of the Zeon homeland.

That is not to say that the Security Enforcement Act was failing; it was merely being stalled. Earth-based industries were producing combat vehicles and other military equipment and supplies at the required rates, and Jaburo's shipyards and factories – which thankfully enough had miraculously survived the destruction of the central portion of the underground fortress-city by the Titans – had since been renovated and put to work. The only problem now was manpower; so close to elections, despite Special Envoy Martha's exhortations the Senators at Dakar were unwilling to enforce mass conscription and risk their re-election chances with such a radical act – after fourteen years since the One Year War most youth on Earth had no interest in serving under arms.

The Special Envoy's patience was further strained by Anaheim Electronics' inability to fully support the Federation. While her family owned a large portion of the company, fully thirty-five percent still belonged to the Zabi Dynasty, and therefore effectively to the last princess. And the last princess had made clear via her proxies at Von Braun that Anaheim Electronics would not devote its resources solely to the Federation. If she so desired, Martha could and did direct her family's assets for the Federation's purposes, but Mineva did likewise for her assets, albeit sending them to Granada to rebuild Zeon's fleet. The other shareholders preferred a more neutral approach, refusing to back either Mineva or Martha and focusing on the civilian side of things (especially after one of them suffered a fatal 'car accident' after expressing intentions of throwing her support for the Federation). That last part had the Special Envoy all but pulling her hair out in frustration, and the last princess smirking in satisfaction. And unlike the EFF Zeon had no shortage of recruits, volunteers making their way through the Earth Sphere's underground from Sides 2 and 3, and from across the Moon to Granada, where stringent security checks weeded out spies and infiltrators before sending the rest to be trained to man the princess' ships and mobile suits.

Construction of the bases on Earth went as planned though, even if pilots for mobile suits and skilled technicians and other service personnel were in short supply. This was accomplished through a simple solution; by simply having local officials declare martial law (usually at gunpoint), the EFF could easily 'draft' local civilians to work in the construction of their new strongholds, more often than not without pay – borderline indentured servitude.

The new Indian Ocean base was such a case. Hundreds of locals had been forcibly rounded up by the Federation Army, and taken by the truckload to work under duress to build the base. Many died under the back-breaking labour, poor living conditions provided, minimal rations, lack of medical care, and the weather itself. Others were publicly executed for 'desertion' despite the fact they had been unlawfully put to work in the first place. Despite the casualties, the Federation base was steadily and quickly built up over a matter of weeks, allowing the first warships and mobile suit transports to arrive…and drawing the attention of the Zeon remnants on Earth.

These Zeon remnants had also been in contact with their comrades in space, and now had gathered a sizeable force from across the Indian Ocean and from Africa to attack the base. Their objectives: to destroy all the Federation Forces present, to forcibly acquire their supplies and war materiel, gain valuable intelligence (if possible) from captured Federation officers, and to use the Federation's own transports to join another force of Zeon remnants in New Guinea. Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Anderson was no fool though; despite the fact that all his troops were veteran soldiers, he knew that with outdated units he needed to exploit the advantage of surprise to the fullest by attacking from both land and sea, and then hold out long enough to allow Princess Mineva's reinforcements from space to arrive and deliver the final blow.

Even before the Sun had risen, Zeon forces were closing in on the base. Five Mad Angler-class Submarines silently moved through the murky depths of the Indian Ocean, Gogg and Acguy pilots waiting in their units as they closed in on the enemy. On the landward side, Doms, Goufs, and Zaku IIs quietly marched through the jungles along with Magella Attack Tanks and APCs carrying Zeon soldiers. Vengeful local hunters had been hired to clear the way, using techniques they had used since time immemorial to hunt prey to kill the Federation sentries and patrols silently and quickly.

As the submarines passed what should have been an outer sensor line in a completed Federation base, the captains ordered their crews to go to Condition Red. Launch tubes were flooded, and mobile suits were launched. Once the mobile suits were clear, the submarines loaded and armed their missile launchers. At the same time, power was cut across the entire region and forcing the EFF garrison to switch to their backup generators. The watch officer immediately contacted the distribution centre, only to be informed that contact had been lost with the orbiting solar energy satellite, and that they would try and get main power back on as soon as possible. Unconcerned, the watch officer let the matter go, not realizing that the base's radar was unable to detect the seven Newtype mobile suits descending on the base in their ballutes due to the heavy Minovsky Particle interference caused by the battle between Zeon and Londo Bell in orbit.

* * *

Major Andrew Travers swallowed uncomfortably as he knocked on his CO's quarters. He knew the man's tastes, and sure enough once the colonel opened his door the major briefly saw a bruised and battered thirteen year old girl sleeping fitfully on the man's bed. "What's wrong?" the colonel asked groggily, and the major put aside his distaste before giving his report crisply.

"…begging your pardon for the early wakeup call sir, but there's been a loss of contact with the solar energy satellite. We're on backup as we speak. I just thought you'd have wanted to be informed."

"Damn right I would…" the man said, scratching at an armpit and causing the major to barely succeed from shrinking back in disgust. How a man like this ever became a colonel was beyond him. Any further conversation was aborted as alarms began to scream across the entire base.

* * *

At sea, the Zeon submarines slowly surfaced, drawing the attention of a sentry standing on a watchtower by the seaside, but even as the man sounded the alarm the Zeon ships had already launched their missiles, hundreds of them arcing down on the seaside sections of the EFF base. Massive explosions rocked the base, hangars containing EFF Zaku Marine Types going up in flames and debris together with the barracks of their pilots. The crews of the EFF warships were scrambling to stations when Acguys surfaced right next to their ships before firing their arm-mounted mega particle cannons at point-blank range, quickly annihilating the EFF Fleet at the docks. The Acguys then proceeded to move in to support the Goggs that had gone on ahead.

The moment they had surfaced the Goggs fired their mega particle cannons and demolished what few buildings had survived the initial missile bombardment, then held position waiting for the Acguys before they advanced. Across the base EFF soldiers were scrambling to their feet, putting on their uniforms and armour before grabbing their weapons and heading out. Tanks and GM III mobile suits scrambled to meet the attackers advancing from the sea, when a rocket smashed into and destroyed the central control tower from the landward side.

"All forces advance!" Anderson ordered from his Dom's cockpit as he lowered his bazooka, leading the ground forces towards the airstrip. The naval portion of the attack force had thirty mobile suits, composed of eighteen Goggs and twelve Acguys. The ground portion only had eighteen mobile suits – nine Doms, six Goufs, and three Zaku IIs – but were backed by a combat strength (but not full strength) battalion of Magella Attack Tanks and infantry. "Zaku team and assigned ground support, secure the airstrip and those Garudas! The rest of us will move in and pincer the enemy forces. Commence attack!"

The Zeon mobile suits charged in across the cleared are towards the airstrip, the Doms in front and the Goufs guarding the flanks. The Zaku IIs followed, leading the Magellas and APCs. Tearing through the surrounding fence, Anderson fired his bazooka twice, destroying two MS hangars adjacent to the airstrip while one of the Goufs riddled a nearby barracks with its finger-mounted guns. The Doms and Goufs immediately pressed onwards, followed by most of the Magellas and APCs. The rest immediately took up a protective stance around the carriers, the Zaku IIs with their bazookas standing by to the rear.

Zeon soldiers poured from their APCs, setting up sandbag barricades and machine gun posts, while snipers took up position on top of the fuel depot. Meanwhile intense fighting continued within the base between the EFF and Zeon forces. The EFF had seventy mobile suits in the facility, composed of fifty GM III and twenty Zaku Marine Types. All of the latter had been destroyed by the initial bombardment along with many of the former, but all in all thirty-five GM IIIs had managed to reach the battlefield and were now tearing into the outdated Zeon mobile suits.

The situation was particularly bad along the coast, where the initial gains by the aquatic Zeon mobile suits were quickly reversed as the faster GM IIIs drove them back all the while inflicting heavy losses on the Zeon forces. While the Goggs and Acguys were armed with mega particle cannons, these were older models with slow attack rates and in the case of the former, only for so long as they had enough water in their ballasts to cool their oversized reactors. The EFF had taken losses too at first, but once the Goggs found themselves unable to fire their mega particle cannons, they found themselves being forced to attempt to engage in melee while being covered by the Acguys. However, all such efforts proved meaningless, and after taking heavy losses the Goggs and Acguys were forced back to the ruined docks.

The battle on the landward side was more even, the Goufs outclassing the GM III in melee and the Dom outclassing it in mobility. Even with beam weapons, Zeon infantry and tank support proved effective, one group of Zeon soldiers and a tank successfully downing a GM III through the creative use of landmines and the Magella's main gun. However as the battle along the coast turned against Zeon's favour, more GM IIIs were redeployed against the Zeon forces on the landward side. EFF infantry now began to restrict their counterpart's ability to support their own mobile suit forces, something Anderson had counted on to balance his forces technological inferiority.

"Damn it…where's the princess?" the man demanded, firing his bazooka's last round and destroying a GM III. Discarding the spent weapon, he dodged a beam from another GM III before drawing his heat sabre and firing the waist-mounted scattering beam gun, blinding the two enemy mobile suits. Anderson then took advantage of this to stab a GM III's cockpit, killing the pilot and disabling the unit. The remaining GM III fired back, but the Zeon officer managed to dodge the shot.

The Federation mobile suit drew a beam sabre and charged, locking blades with the older and heavier Dom. At such close quarters the GM III's lighter body proved to be an advantage, allowing it to attack faster and forcing the Zeon officer back with every strike. Then it opened fire with its Vulcan cannons, and while the Dom's armour held, the same could not be said for the mono-eye which shattered under the onslaught.

"…shit!" Anderson swore, piloting his unit at full speed to no avail; within moments, the GM III had cut off the Dom's legs at the knees, disabling it and causing it to crash backwards onto the ground. The Federation mobile suit now loomed over its fallen enemy, beam sabre raised to deliver the final blow, when yellow beams began to rain down on the battlefield.

* * *

"Captain…" the sensor crewman at the flagship Zeon submarine spoke up, drawing the attention of the captain away from the tactical screen which displayed their forces' less than ideal situation. "…our scopes have spotted several mobile suits rapidly closing from above."

"What…?" the captain barely managed to say when a young woman's voice spoke over the encrypted line.

"This is Princess Mineva Lao Zabi. I am taking command of this battle. Zeon fleet, standby to receive target coordinates."

"The princess…came in person…?" the captain echoed in shock before recovering his composure and barked out new orders. "Load missile tubes and standby to fire. Lock on to the princess' targets and engage!"

Missiles slid home into firing position while in her Queen Mansa Mineva used her Newtype abilities in conjunction with the auto-targeting system to feed the location of Federation strongpoints to the Zeon fleet. Within moments, the fleet fired a second salvo of missiles, the rockets arcing over the base and unleashing a blistering hell-storm of explosions across the besieged facility. In an instant the tide of battle had turned, most of the Federation mobile suits and ground forces destroyed in that salvo. Mineva now launched her funnels and shot the arms off of the GM III threatening Anderson's Dom. The Knights of the Round followed suit, launching their funnels and further decimating the collapsing Federation MS Corps.

Mineva landed heavily, and took in the situation. "All ground forces press the assault. Drive the enemy into the sea. Aquatic mobile suits are to hold position in the water and are to bombard incoming EFF units with beam artillery…hammer and anvil. Knights of One and Five, with me; we'll secure the outer perimeter. Knights of Three, Six, and Nine are to spearhead the assault. Knight of Ten reinforce the troops at the airstrip. Now, move out!"

"Yes your Highness!"

* * *

"Spearhead the assault the princess says…" Sub-Lieutenant Ginevra du Lac the Knight of Six jokingly complained over a private line. "…easier said than done in this gravity."

"I don't really mind..." Sub-Lieutenant Perseus Veldt the Knight of Nine responded in a bored tone. "…but if this is Earth, then I have to say it's overrated."

"Stop spacing out you two." Lieutenant Mars Parker the Knight of Three barked. "Let's go you two…for her Highness the Princess Mineva!"

The three Qubeleys roared through the battlefield, beam guns and funnels blazing, taking down GM IIIs as they went, using the ballute thrusters to hover above the ground in a similar fashion to the Dom. The remaining Zeon mobile suits followed in their wake while the Magellas struggled to find higher ground and provided artillery support as the Zeon forces drove the enemy into the sea.

* * *

Meanwhile the Princess and the two knights who accompanied her fought their way towards the base's administration complex. Mineva aimed and fired her arm-mounted mega particle cannons, destroying two GM IIIs. To the left flank Marida shot off a GM III's head with a beam gun before cutting another mobile suit diagonally in half from hip to shoulder. To the right Archer fought a GM III hand-to-hand with beam sabres. The Federation mobile suit managed to knock his beam sabre out of his unit's hand, but when it closed for the final blow, Archer grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the beam sabre while simultaneously firing his other arm's beam gun at the GM III's cockpit. "There's the administration block." Mineva pointed out. "Let's wrap this up!"

* * *

Elsewhere a serious firefight had broken out at the airstrip, EFF soldiers struggling to dislodge entrenched Zeon soldiers. The Zaku IIs were bunkered down, periodically exchanging fire with several other GM IIIs also bunkered down behind Federation lines. The tide of battle changed with the arrival of Lieutenant Christina May the Knight of Ten, who launched her funnels and took down the bunkered Federation mobile suits. Now safe from retaliation, the Zaku IIs broke cover and advanced, butchering the fleeing Federation soldiers as they broke and fled from the sight of their mobile suits' destruction. The Knight of Ten's attention was drawn elsewhere though, as she spotted a large number of people gathering a good distance away from the airstrip and the base.

"What's that?" she quietly asked herself before moving to investigate. It soon became evident that the press-ganged locals had taken advantage of the chaos to escape…and that some of the EFF soldiers were ill-disposed regarding the idea, running up and opening fire on the civilians as they struggled to climb over the fences or to cut through them to join with their families gathered on the other side. The Knight of Ten gasped as she saw not just the workers, but even some of the people on the other side of the fence go down shot through with Federation bullets. "…murderers!" she shouted, landing close to the Federation soldiers, who barely had time to look up in horror before she fired her dual mega particle cannon and left nothing of them but a smoking crater. Then striding over and causing the civilians to back away in fear, she tore the fence apart. "Hurry and get out of here!" she broadcast, and the workers ran for their freedom and to their families.

Christina sighed then prepared to head back to the airstrip when a brilliant flare lit up the morning sky from the direction of the administrative block. "A white flare…" she whispered. "…unconditional surrender…"

* * *

EFF personnel stood in a line before the central building, hands up in surrender as three giant mobile suits glowered down on them. "Status…?" Mineva queried over the encrypted line.

"EFF forces in the coastal region have surrendered. Their pilots have also abandoned their units, and are being taken into custody."

"The situation is clear across the board."

"Understood…" Mineva acknowledged. "…process the prisoners, gather the dead, and provide medical assistance as necessary. Our troops have priority."

"Yes your Highness."

Mineva sighed in weariness. "The sweet taste of victory…" she noted flatly. "…I can't taste it though. But then again, this isn't really victory…yet."

* * *

A/N

And there's the fourth chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, and any copyrighted material used in this work. This is a fanfic, period. Everything belongs to their respective owners. Comments and constructive criticism are all very much appreciated.

The Second Coming of Haman Karn

Chapter 5

The three officers were enjoying themselves as they sat around a table in a private room of a Japanese-style restaurant in one of Side 3's colonies. Between the three of them they controlled virtually the entire republic military, and all of them were well aware of the growing pro-Zabi trend among the lower ranks and especially among the rank-and-file. That was the major topic of the night, and one issue they had absolutely no intention of giving ground on. All three of them were up to their necks in the republic's pro-Federation policies, and as such had a personal interest in preventing the Zabi Dynasty from regaining control of Side 3.

At least that should have been their focus. But once the alcohol had started flowing, it was less than two hours before the three republic chiefs of staff had forgotten about their troubles in keeping control of the military and curbing the insurrection. Even the knowledge that they would all be shot for high treason should the princess return had been lost in a haze of alcohol, the three men consoling themselves with the thought that this recent upsurge in pro-Zabi activity would fizzle out like the previous ones, princess or not. After all, it wasn't like the Federation will ever fall; the Principality couldn't do it, the Titans had failed to subvert it, and now it seemed the Neo-Zeon Movements were driving themselves to self-destruction attempting to do so – no need for concern, the recent successes of the resistance notwithstanding.

The door opened and the intoxicated officers turned to look at the robed girl who entered with a fresh bottle of sake.

"We didn't order anymore." The Army Chief of Staff croaked out, and the girl smiled.

"The owner sends his complements." She said, sitting down at the table. "He asked me to provide you with some of his finest in thanks for your patronage."

"That's different then." The Navy Chief of Staff croaked out, leering at the girl. "Aren't you hot in all that cloth?"

"…odds or evens?" she responded in a suggestive tone, and the game was on. The three officers continued to intoxicate themselves, so intent on their prize. With each roll of the dice, more cloth was removed, pale skin was exposed, and wine saucers were refilled. Finally, the girl was down to her undergarments and her shoes.

"…evens…" she said, and the officers drunkenly cheered as she knelt and moved to take off her shoes…only for the MS Corps Commander to stagger back, his eyes bulging in shock as the girl's throwing dagger plunged all the way to the hilt in the man's forehead.

The two remaining officers fell back in alarm, but it was too late. One swift arm movement later and the Navy Chief of Staff went down gurgling, his neck arteries spraying bright arterial blood as he collapsed to the floor. The Army Chief of Staff struggled to draw his sidearm, and was just doing so when the girl plunged her last blade into an eye socket and into his brain.

Sighing, the girl gathered her clothes and retrieved her weapons before leaving the room and carefully closing the door behind her. Making her way downstairs, the owner motioned her towards the employees' toilet to clean up, before personally escorting her to the employees' entrance and exit to allow her to leave quietly. The man was quietly attentive and cooperative, which was quite expected considering the princess' representative had offered him one whole and genuine gold bullion for his cooperation. All that was left now was to call the police – who would simply go through the motions of investigating the murders – at the appointed time, and his part in the whole bloody affair would be at an end.

* * *

The Sun rose over the Indian Ocean, its golden rays sparkling over the waves in time with the red, black, and white flag being raised by Zeon soldiers over the base, the stylized rose of the Zabi Dynasty flowing in the morning breeze. Most of the base – especially along the coastline – lay in ruins, and the hulks of sunken Federation warships were beginning to rust in the waters of the sea, but the administrative building were intact, as were most of the residential and storage facilities. The former were now being used as a temporary headquarters by the Zeon forces, and the latter had been taken advantage of by both the Zeon and the locals.

Following the battle during the previous day, the Zeon forces were quick to set up shop, placing the surviving Federation troops in the holding cells they themselves had built, and providing medical attention first to their troops, and then to their injured prisoners and some beaten and badly injured civilians the Zeon had discovered being held in custody by the EFF. The remaining aquatic mobile suits – seven Goggs and two Acguys – had returned to their submarines, which after resupplying had been ordered to proceed to New Guinea ahead of the main force. Princess Mineva had also ordered the abandonment of the remaining One Year War-era mobile suits in use, deciding that repainted GM IIIs would have to serve their purposes until they could return to space and gain access to proper Zeon mobile suit models.

Naturally there had been those opposed to the use of Federation mobile suits, but it was only a matter of time before pragmatism had won out. Doms and other One Year War-era mobile suits were venerable units, but lacked the capability to go toe-to-toe against modern mobile suit forces. In the end, the pilots and the other Zeon commanders agreed with the princess: they could simply not risk unnecessary losses by this point and had to swallow their pride and make use of Federation mobile suits to get as many of them as possible to New Guinea, and from there to Torrington and the Zeon homeland. As a result, throughout the night Zeon engineers and technicians were busy repairing damaged GM IIIs and repainting the white and green of the EFF with the black and green of the Zeon MS Corps.

By daybreak most of the mobile suit refitting was done, and Zeon pilots were now training in the use of the Federation machines. Meanwhile, in the open areas adjacent to the base, the Zeon support units had set up medical tents, where injured locals were being treated by Zeon medical teams as a goodwill gesture from the Zeon forces, something the locals had cautiously accepted after the Zeon had repatriated their injured but treated kin who had been imprisoned for a variety of reasons by the EFF. Along the airstrip, Zeon engineers and technicians were busy loading supplies – taken from the ransacked Federation storehouses – and mobile suits on the two Garudas which were even then having the Federation emblem being replaced with the Zabi Crest.

Naturally there weren't enough pilots to pilot all the GM IIIs – out of Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson's original eighteen pilots who had attacked the base the previous day only eight had survived – but the princess hoped to find more pilots at New Guinea for the attack on Torrington. The princess at that point was sitting in what was once the CO's office in the central administrative building, a steaming cup of coffee at her elbow, and her red cape hanging from a stand by the door. The top button of her uniform was unbuttoned, the princess clearly uncomfortable in the tropical heat of the equator.

"Your Highness…" her aide piped up through the private line. "…I have a Mr Praji here to see you."

"…send him in." she replied, fixing her uniform and adopting a neutral but polite demeanour. A moment later and an Indian walked into her office. "Mr Praji, I understand you are here to discuss the reasoning behind my offer?"

"Your Highness…" the man began with a polite bow, but there was a note of caution in his voice. "…your offer to give us twenty percent of the non-military supplies in the base in exchange for assistance in heavy labour regarding your departure preparations, but…"

"You are concerned about why you should help us, when in the long term we are the enemies of the people here on Earth, is that it?" the princess finished for him, giving a knowing smile and causing the man to swallow nervously.

"…precisely so…"

Mineva chuckled, then rose and turned to look out the window behind her desk, gazing through the blinds at hustle and bustle outside, her gaze finally resting on the Zeon flag fluttering atop a nearby flagpole. "Tell me Mr Praji, is Earth dependent on her colonies or is the other way around?"

"Your Highness…?" the man asked, confused by the apparently oblique nature of the question, however the princess didn't reply. After a moment, the man swallowed again and gave an answer to Mineva's question. "Earth's economy is dependent on imports from space…"

"Exactly…" Mineva interrupted, turning to look back at her guest. "…the Federation needs the colonies to sustain itself, but not the other way around. Even without Earth the colonies will survive. I've no intention of telling you the details of our strategy, but a war with Earth is not what we seek. That road merely leads to the repetition of the sins of the past. No, I intend to collapse Earth's economy, and in so doing collapse the Federation by extension."

"But if you do that…!"

"Come now Mr Praji." The princess pointed out in a placating tone. "Your people are simple farmers and fishermen. Even if the mega-corporations upon which the Federation Government depends on collapses, your way of life will continue. The land and sea upon which you and your families have depended on for centuries will still be there."

The Indian was silent for a moment before nodding in understanding. "Very well your Highness…" the man said with a respectful bow. "…I understand your intentions, and regardless of the history of your people I will trust in your word. My men will assist in you and your soldiers' preparations."

The princess nodded and the Indian left. Moments later the Knight of One entered. "Are you sure about this?" Marida asked the princess. "With their help we'll be able to leave by noon tomorrow, but can we really avoid affecting them once we begin our plan to destroy the Federation?"

"Of course not…" the princess scoffed. "…an economic collapse here on Earth will affect everyone, from the nobles at the top of the social pyramid to the lowest beggar at the bottom." Mineva paused before smiling coldly, her eyes cold and hard as gemstones. "But he doesn't need to know that. The people of Earth who have forgotten how to dream, their souls weighed down by gravity's grip, shall all be sacrificed for the future of Humanity."

Marida was silent, and then she bowed and said "I am your sword."

"And I will wield you as such." Mineva said, perusing her reports once again.

* * *

Mt Kilimanjaro: a mountain in East Africa and the site of an EFF base dating back to before the One Year War. Following Operation Stardust, the Titans took control of the facility, expanding it and making it their headquarters. The facility was largely destroyed by a joint AEUG-Karaba attack during the Gryps Conflict, but what was left of the base was repaired and refurbished by the EFF following the downfall of the Titans.

Now however, with the recent Zeon attack in the Indian Ocean, ECOAS units have gathered at the base in preparation for a counterattack. A Garuda-class has been outfitted, with Jegans and a red and black Byalant being loaded aboard the gargantuan Atmospheric Carrier. "The Zeon forces in the Indian Ocean are poorly-equipped, and should be easy prey…" one of the officers present in the command centre was saying when he was interrupted by ECOAS' commanding officer.

"That may have been true before the attack, but there's a good chance that they've 'salvaged' what undamaged mobile suits that were left after the battle to supplement their forces." Full Frontal pointed out. "In fact, it would be foolhardy for the Zeon princess not to do so. I'm certain of it."

"…how?"

"No particular reason…" the masked man said with a smirk, tapping a temple with one of his fingers a few times. "…just a feeling…"

"…you Newtypes think you're so smart, don't you?" the other officer sneered. "But we're not the Principality of Zeon or the Londo Bell. We're the Earth Federation Forces, and the feelings of mutants and freaks aren't…"

"Regardless of your opinions about Newtypes, major…" Full Frontal coldly responded. "…however the Federation Government has tasked me and ECOAS with the elimination of all anti-government forces. As such I expect your full cooperation in this matter. The Garuda and the provided supplies are all well and good, but I expect to be able to access the equatorial network at will. Any further attempts at…procrastination will be considered as treasonous. Furthermore, Londo Bell is another elite force of the Federation Government, and you will respect them as such, and anything else will be considered as…seditious. Am I clear major?"

"…transparently…" the man grit out, his face turning red, and a nearby captain coughed before entering the conversation.

"With all due respect commander, outfitting your carrier with an uplink to the equatorial network will delay your departure by several hours." The man pointed out. "Furthermore, given the nature of Minovsky Particles, perhaps it would not be…"

"Your concerns are appreciated, captain…" Frontal said, smiling genuinely at the junior officer. "…but I believe the benefits of having access to the network outweigh the risks and setbacks."

"…understood." The man said and the major re-entered the conversation after perusing a report given by another subordinate.

"We've had an interesting development. It seems that one of our outposts on Ceylon has caught wind of the rebels. They're preparing to sortie."

* * *

"Major Andrew Travers…" Mineva said as she sat down on the other side of the table as the Federation officer. "…I hear that you've expressed a desire to defect. Needless to say I am curious as to why."

The man sighed and said "Your Highness, I signed up for the Earth Federation Forces because I believed in the ideals expressed by the Federation. Liberty…freedom…serving to protect the rights of the individual…but in my years of service I've since learned that those ideals are just empty words. Politics…bureaucracy…with each election it's just different leaders but the same bullshit."

"So why now?"

"…because Zeon is different. When something happens, you don't wait for those old fools in Dakar to hold meetings to write reports and such before anything happens, you go and do something about it."

"What of our past history?" Mineva countered, her eyes narrowed as she focused her Newtype abilities. Thus far it seemed the man was telling the truth with no ulterior motives, though it seemed he was holding something back.

Major Travers sighed. "I understand some of your people's past actions were excessive, but is the Federation so different with the Titans? At the very least Zeon's actions are aimed with a higher goal in mind, but the Federation…the Federation only cares to preserve the status quo…"

"What do you want Major Travers?" Mineva asked, cutting straight to the point. "I know you want something from me in exchange for your shift in allegiance."

"My wife and daughter…" he whispered, and the princess blinked in surprise. "…they're both at Colony 22 of Bunch 11 in Side 2. If you can get them out to safety, then my allegiance is yours."

"Easy enough to arrange…" the princess said, snapping her fingers and summoning her aide. "Talk to Warrant Officer Angelica here, and she'll make the appropriate arrangements."

Without waiting for the man's relieved exclamations, the princess walked out of the interrogation chamber and headed out of the building, the Knight of Five and the Knight of Ten falling into step behind her. The three of them stepped into a jeep and drove out to the open grounds near the airstrip. Many of the local civilians were gathered there, held in check by Zeon MPs but thus far holding their composure as they looked on with cruel satisfaction. Mobile suits – GM IIIs painted in Zeon colours – stood to the sides, using their advanced sensors to monitor for signs of long-distance threats to the princess, who upon arriving walked past a double line of Zeon officers. The Knight of One was waiting at the end, looking on coldly as a pair of thuggish MPs threw the bruised and battered form of the EFF CO onto the ground before them, where he cowered helplessly in the dirt before the enemy.

"See now the fearlessness of this paragon of vice and corruption." Mineva said with cold amusement, her words echoing across the grounds. "See how strong he is in the face of his death. As you all know, this man enforced borderline slavery on the innocent and hapless families of this land, and as if that was not enough, he saw fit to rip young girls from the arms of their families so he could rape them night after night for his own satisfaction. Those same girls he killed and whose bodies he unsuccessfully attempted to dispose of to avoid taking responsibility for his actions. Look and see how Zeon justice views his actions."

The audience was silent, the locals all sporting bloodthirsty expressions while the Zeon all had expressions of utter disgust and contempt on their faces. The latter were all men and women who wouldn't flinch if their princess ordered them to drop space colonies on Earth, or to fire nuclear missiles or chemical bombs against the Federation, but there were lines even they would not cross. "Behold the fate of those who exploit the weak and helpless!" Mineva said, relishing the moments of theatrical drama. "Ladies and gentlemen, let us observe the end of this vile thing and observe as it is cast into the abyss. Captain Cruz…?"

Marida stepped forward as the princess pulled out her sidearm and primed it, handing it to her. "End it."

The Knight of One nodded, taking the offered weapon and glaring down at the cowering Federation officer, who was weeping shamelessly and all but begging up at her. Memories of her own past flashed through her mind, of her voice screaming itself hoarse calling for help that never came, of cruel and uncaring laughter, she remembered the torn and dirty sheets and clothes, the friction, pain, sweat and blood…and she remembered that day when her master finally came to save her. She remembered a man wearing a similar uniform as the man now cowering before her groveling before her master. She remembered her master shooting him dead on the floor, of him backhanding the woman who owned that annex of hell, of the Zeon soldiers setting the fires that burned it all to the ground…and she remembered the princess crying as she learned what had happened to her.

"Worms are meant to crawl in the dirt…" Marida spat, as she emptied the clip and pulverised all the man's joints in his arms and legs. "…so crawl!"

The man's screams of agony echoed across the air, but the Knight of One ignored it as she handed the weapon back to its owner, the princess nodding and turning away in dismissal from the bleeding and helpless worm behind her, the Knights and officers following behind her. Around them the locals bowed in respect, while others spat in the direction of the dying animal. It was quite tempting to go and finish the job – assuming the Zeon MPs let them – but the locals were all content to let the man die a slow and painful death as per the terms of the princess' judgment.

* * *

A/N

And there we go. Now I know that if Mr Praji had the time and luxury to think about what Mineva said about collapsing Earth's economy he'd know that he and his people would be affected in the long run. But put yourself in his shoes. You're in a Zeon base, as in the people who have no qualms dropping rocks on the Earth. And you're facing their princess, who may be a little girl but leads from the front in a giant robot. See if you can think straight in that situation.


End file.
